Mental workload refers to the feeling of cognitive and emotional pressure as a result of work demands, whether paid or unpaid. Excessive mental load prolonged over time can affect the quality of life, causing fatigue, insomnia, chronic stress or mood disorders such as anxiety, anguish and depression.
In addition, its impact on psychological health can cause a reduction in the ability to take care of daily activities, such as working or carrying out simple tasks.
The changes in the modality and organization of work in recent decades brought with them new psychosocial risks, and some of the groups that are most affected by the mental load are: teleworkers and women.
On the one hand, growing virtualization caused the insertion of technology into all spaces, causing some people to feel like they had to be connected all the time and responding to demands. This, in teleworkers, can cause a feeling of chronic fatigue and hyperalertness.
On the other hand, there is still an unequal distribution of tasks in the domestic sphere, which are mostly assigned to women. They still predominate cultural mandates which indicate that women, in addition to paid work, must take care of household chores, take care of children, and must meet high standards of beauty. This causes many women to have an overload of tasks and demands that is invisible in most cases.
Becoming aware is the first step to generate valuable changes in the direction of greater well-being. Some questions that can help you reflect on this are: How have I felt in recent weeks? Do I feel confident about my ability to handle the problems that arise in my daily life? Do I feel like things are going well? How often have I felt like I couldn’t handle all the things I had to do? How often do I feel like I have everything out of control? How often have I felt like difficulties piled up so much that I couldn’t overcome them? Do I notice that I can respond in important situations in my life?
2. Promote communication with your peers
If you notice that you have an overload of tasks, it is important to value your time as well as that of your partner and co-workers. Communicate and reach agreements so that the division of tasks is as equitable as possible. Additionally, feeling understood and validated in this situation can be restorative per se.
3. In times of stress, focus on what is important and valuable to you
Learning to discern between what is essential and what is less significant will help you focus on the present moment. You may ask yourself: What is right for me right now? What is being priority? What do I need to let go or put aside?
4. Practice self-compassion
Some self-compassion phrases that can accompany you in moments of overload They are: I hope I can take care of myself right now. I hope I receive all the collaboration and care I need. I hope I can be compassionate with myself right now. I hope you find peace and calm.
5. Consult with a health professional with perspective on this topic
Fatigue, stress and burnout associated with mental workload can be worked on through psychotherapy and in some cases through psychopharmacology, since both have favorable results. The main interventions that have stood out for their effectiveness and good results are Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), especially behavioral activation treatment for depression (BATD).
